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The University of Oregon started selling seats in their new arena to big donors from the "Legacy Fund" on Thursday.

The athletic department of UO is hoping to sell of 6,000 season tickets in the $227 million, 12,541-seat Matthew Knight Arena, scheduled for completion in December.

Thursday was the first day in a six-week process for UO basketball fans who pay the most money, and have had season tickets the longest, to pick out prime seats in the most expensive college basketball arena ever built.

“All in all, it’s been pretty smooth today,” executive senior associate athletic director Jim Bartko said, right before the 34th and final seat-selection appointment of the day. Those seats, numbers 1 through 4 in row D of Section 103P (‘P’ standing for premier), went to UO alum and late-1970s track star Rudy Chapa, who phoned in his order from Portland.